Prison Bars and Pecan Pie
by FabulouslyMichelle
Summary: Edna Turnblad acts on her feelings of self hatred, taking a knife to her own skin. Rated "T" for self harm. Wilbur/Tracy/Penny/Knives/Food/Towels/Bedroom/Kissing/Nudity/Singing/Dancing/No Link Larkin/Corny Collins/Blood/Alcohol/Chocolate/OC/Kelly/Crying/
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: The point of view jumps around a bit, but it should be easy enough to keep track of…I hope. Reviews and any kind of comment or advice are very much appreciated! Also, any inconsistencies that you detect please let me know. Enjoy!

Intro

It's 1960. Tracy Turnblad is 15 and obsessed with The Corny Collins Show and Edna Turnblad's self confidence is at an all-time low. Wilbur Turnblad's novelty shop, the Hardy Har Hut, is doing very well. He spends many late nights there. Kelly Wiley is 18 and just graduated from high school last June. Despite their age difference, Tracy, Penny Pingleton, and Kelly have been best friends all throughout high school. The two younger ones were sad to see her go, but since Kelly lives next door to the Turnblads and visits their home every single day to help Edna with her business and do household chores, they still see a lot of each other. In fact, Kelly spends more time at the Turnblad residence than in her own home. Her mother is a combination of very flighty and very self-centered, without much room in her life or her heart for anyone else, and everyone swears that her father is the neighborhood flasher (he has some issues). But all in all, she figures she has got it pretty good.

Prison Bars and Pecan Pie

Chapter One

Kelly entered the Hardy Har Hut one early afternoon two weeks after her 18th birthday, her arms laden with paper bags. Wilbur Turnblad raised his eyebrows, smiling.

"Got everything?"

_"And more,"_ She grinned. He smiled, not taking the hint. She bid him adieu and exited the shop. She climbed the stairs and made her way to the kitchen, sighing as she sat the bags on the counter. She started taking things out and putting them away. She had reached the bottom of the first bag where sat the Baby Ruth's when she realized she had not yet seen the lady of the house.

"Edna?" She called.

No answer. Kelly checked the backyard, thinking maybe Edna was hanging clothes on the clothesline, but no such luck. She wasn't in the bathroom either. On her way back down the hall Kelly passed Wilbur and Edna's closed bedroom door. She stopped short when she heard a clatter from within. She knocked quietly. Receiving no response, Kelly eased the door open. What she saw stopped her heart cold.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Edna Turnblad was facing the wall to the left of the door. Wearing only her slip, she was seated on a stool between her vanity and the bed clutching a large kitchen knife in her hands. Kelly saw the knife, saw the blood. She watched in horror as she finally realized what was causing the clatter. Every time she pulled the knife over the flesh of her thigh, Edna's arm hit the vanity, making the lamps and jewelry boxes rattle wildly. Her left shoulder and upper arm were covered in angry seeping cuts, as was her left breast. The left straps of her bra and slip dangled pointlessly; she had cut them as well. Unable to stand it any longer Kelly moved quickly through the door and around the bed. She fell to her knees before the armed woman.

"Oh God," Kelly whimpered as she thought quickly. There was nothing for it; she grabbed Edna's hands in her own and pulled the blade from Edna's ruined skin. At least, that was what she had planned to do, but Mrs. Turnblad showed unexpected strength.

Her face twisted into an expression of utter anguish and hatred, Edna Turnblad fought to hold onto the one thing that she could be sure of at that moment. The knife was solid, real. And it wasn't food. Too long had her comfort been flavored, fried and buttered. Too often had she reached for the cold metal of the refrigerator handle in her time of need; too many times had she cried over a plate of chocolate cake and ice cream; this blade gave her the freedom that food never could. She was in control.

"I'm trying to help you!" Kelly cried as she wrestled Edna. She got to her feet and, towering over the desperate woman, fixed her fierce gaze upon Edna's bright blue eyes.

"I don't…want…to hurt you!" Kelly cried. Finally she let go, reeled back, and back-handed the mad woman across the face. The latter dropped the knife as her hands flew instinctively to her assaulted countenance. Kelly picked up the knife and threw it across the room where in hit the wall, chipping the paint before falling to the carpet with a soft thud. Kelly dropped to her knees again and took Edna's face in her hands.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Kelly cried distraughtly. She again stood and wrapped her arms around the one constant thing in her life. She sat on the edge of the bed and rocked Edna in her arms, still asking why. By this time Kelly was fighting back tears, and she could feel warm blood soaking into her dress.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Edna sat, dazed. Kelly had slapped her; actually slapped her. Edna heard Kelly's question, and posed the same one to herself: what was she thinking? How could she do this to herself? She was silent and still as Kelly's tears fell warmly on her bare skin.

Kelly's crying came to a shaky halt as she pulled away, stood, and then slumped to her knees once again before Edna. Her hazel eyes met Edna's blue ones.

Kelly was now staring into her eyes. Edna closed hers, wishing for it all to have been a dream. She was almost disappointed when she opened her eyes and saw Kelly's pretty face still before her. She sighed.

"Look at you," Kelly whispered. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Kelly helped Edna to her feet and keeping an arm around her, led her to the bathroom. With her left arm still wrapped around Edna, Kelly closed the door.

Edna's eyes rose to meet those of her reflection. But, this couldn't be her? Not this bloodstained mound of flesh before her? Something snapped in the mind of Edna Turnblad; and she crumbled.

Edna's shaking hands rose to her mouth, and a choked sob escaped her as she slipped to the floor. Kelly fought to catch her, but struggled with Edna's weight. They both dropped bodily to the cold tile. With one hand on the floor to support herself and the other still over her mouth, Edna Turnblad sobbed. Uncontrollably the tears came, a torrent of salt flowing down her cheeks.

Oh god. What was happening? All she felt was terror and despair, as though laughter and joy had gone from the world and all that was left was pain and sorrow. At that time and place, Edna Turnblad knew only despair.

Kelly placed her right hand on Edna's bloodied shoulder and bent her head. Suddenly Edna clutched at the front of Kelly's dress. Kelly wrapped her arms around Edna's shoulders, holding her tightly. She felt warm, wet tears soaking her dress, and soft skin beneath her hands. She placed her hand on the back of Edna's head and stroked her hair as she rocked her.

"You're fine. You're fine," she whispered. It felt as though she were convincing herself of Edna's security. Her body wracked with sobs, Edna pressed herself as close to the young woman as she could.

Edna felt safe in Kelly's arms. Although Kelly was young she had always seemed older than her years, and Edna had long ago connected with her. Her very presence lightened Edna's heart. Whenever she visited, Kelly would give Mrs. Turnblad a hug, a kiss on the cheek, and that heart warming smile. Kelly doted on her in every way she could. She always did everything in her power to help, and Edna was always grateful, as she was now in her storm of tears.

Edna now had her arms tightly around the younger woman, holding on for dear life. Kelly pulled back a little so as to look into Edna's eyes.

"Don't leave me." Edna's voice was choked and broken, barely discernible from the gasping tears. She clutched at Kelly, who took Edna's tearstained face in her hands.

"I will never leave you, understand? I will never leave you." Through her tears Edna searched Kelly's eyes for the truth behind these words. When she had found it she nodded and placed her forehead against Kelly's, letting the tears continue to fall unabated.

Kelly clasped Edna's hands in her own and sighed, her eyes closed. Slowly Edna's tears came to a quivering halt and Kelly pulled away slightly. She gazed into Edna's eyes blue as the sky and let her gaze travel first to the wounds on her shoulder, then to her sliced breast and finally to the cuts on both her thighs. They needed to be cleaned. Kelly stood, guiding Edna to her feet.

Kelly ran hot water, filling the sink. She sat Edna down on the toilet beside the sink. From the shelf she retrieved alcohol, gauze, and medical tape. The Turnblads were well prepared for any sort of accident. Kelly dipped a sponge into the sink full of steaming water. She bent over Edna and began dabbing at the slashes on her thighs, for they were the deepest. When she rinsed the sponge the blood turned the water a pale red. She continued her gentle cleansing.

When she finished both thighs she released the crimson water from the sink and refilled it, then continued with Edna's breast and shoulder. Kelly patted the cuts dry with one of Edna's lavender bath towels. She then fetched a clean, dry washrag and poured alcohol onto it. Kelly knelt before Edna and poised the washrag over her thigh. She looked into her eyes.

"This is going to sting." She patted the sliced skin delicately, and Edna cried out.

"Pain is temporary," Kelly spoke softly, trying to sooth Edna. Edna nodded, her eyes closed and her teeth clenched as Kelly continued her work.

"I just get---" Edna was speaking quietly, her words broken, interrupted by grunts of pain.

"I get so lonely sometimes. With Tracy---at school, and Wi---Wilbur in his shop. I was doing d---dishes and I caught my---reflection in one of the knives. I couldn't be---believe it was me…"

Kelly had shifted toward Edna's left and, pouring more alcohol onto the washrag, started on her breast. Edna turned her head away, her face pinched into an expression of pain.

"It was just so…ugly." Kelly moved to Edna's shoulder and upper arm as Edna fell silent once again, her eyes misty. She grunted in pain as Kelly blotted the slashes. Finally Kelly finished and, setting the washrag down on the floor, began to dress Edna's wounds. She wrapped Edna's arm, but the others were not so simple. She manipulated the gauze and tape as best she could. Finally when she had finished, she knelt before Edna again and placed her hands on the battered woman's knees. She fixed her eyes on Edna's.

Edna stared into the eyes of her young friend. She somehow felt that Kelly could see straight through her, and it didn't bother her at all. It was a relief to be transparent and vulnerable, rather than keeping it all hidden, bottled up inside. Edna needed someone to see, and this Kelly had always done well; always saying, doing, giving the right things at exactly the right times and sometimes for no reason at all. Edna let her hazel-eyed angel peer into her uneasy soul.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Dear, sweet Edna," Kelly whispered, reaching for Edna's hands. She kissed them and pressed her cheek gently against the warm fingers. Her eyes rose once again to Edna's face.

"You should rest." Kelly moved away from Edna, cleaning up the mess. She emptied the bloodied water from the sink, replaced the alcohol, gauze and tape on the shelf, wiped the blood from the floor, and rinsed the sponge and washrag. When she was sure she had left no trace of the episode that had taken place there, she took Edna's right hand in hers and guided her to her feet.

Edna let Kelly lead her back down the hallway to her and Wilbur's bedroom. She stood in the doorway and watched as Kelly retrieved the knife and rolled it up in the bloody lavender rug that had been beneath the vanity stool. Kelly returned to Edna's side and walked her to her side of the bed, the vanity side. Kelly fetched one of Edna's slips from the dresser. She removed her own slippers, but let Kelly remove her slip, then reach around her and unclasp her bra. Finally they both slid the slip over her form.

Edna slid onto the bed. She laid her head on the pillows and sighed, gazing at the ceiling.

"How do you know you're really alive? That you're not just…dreaming?" Kelly considered Edna's question as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Well," she said, taking Edna's hands. "It depends. Like right here, right now, the reason I know I'm alive is you. You're solid and you're real, and when I hold your hands I know that everything is true."

"So does that mean that you're my reason?"

"If that's how it feels to you."

Edna looked at Kelly, thinking. Then she nodded slowly and gave her a small smile. Kelly smiled back and like so many times before, Edna felt Kelly's warmth wash over her.

"Sometimes your smile is the only thing that gets me through the day," Kelly said. "If you have a smile on your face, I know everything is right in the world." Edna gave a gentle chuckle, squeezing Kelly's hands. Kelly stood and bent over Edna. She kissed her forehead delicately, and Edna closed her eyes.

Kelly looked down at herself and realized she was still spotted with Edna's blood. She looked around her, and then made her way to the closet. On the far left she found what she was looking for; dresses that quite clearly did not fit Edna anymore. She found a white and purple floral number that looked as though it might possibly fit. She turned her head toward Edna, who now had her eyes open, and raised her eyebrows enquiringly as she lifted the dress. Edna gave a small nod. Turning her back to Edna she pulled the blood-stained hand-me-down from her body and slipped on the clean dress. When she turned around, Edna was smiling.

"Wilbur bought that for me for our anniversary…I could never wear it." Kelly could see why; the bottom half was roomy, but Edna could never have squeezed her magnificent bosom into the top of it.

"It fits you like a glove."

Kelly smiled back and crawled onto the bed to lie on top of the covers beside Edna. Edna looked at her.

"Will you do something for me?"

"Anything," Kelly smiled.

"…Stay right here, beside me?"

Kelly clasped Edna's hand. Edna sighed deeply as she closed her eyes once again.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Kelly had fallen asleep beside Edna that night a week before; Wilbur had entered the bedroom later that evening and, smiling when Kelly told him she had stayed with Edna because she wasn't feeling well, had thanked her and suggested she go home. Kelly had returned the next morning almost as soon as she heard Tracy and Wilbur leave the house. She had spent even more time than usual at Edna's side since the episode.

Edna Turnblad turned hopefully from her ironing board as the door opened. A smile broke out on her face when she saw that it was, once again, the sweetly smiling face of Kelly Wiley that came bobbing toward her. They kissed each other's cheeks in greeting.

_So what kinds of unsightly stains shall we be tackling today?" _Kelly said brightly.

_"All we have today is a few of Wilbur's shirts and some towels," _Edna said with a smile. With that, Edna continued her work at the ironing board while Kelly picked up the basket of towels and commenced the folding.

Kelly sang quietly to herself as she worked, a habit she had had since she was a tot. She was midway through a lime green towel when Edna interrupted her.

"Will you do something for me?" Edna asked, smiling as she looked into Kelly's eyes.

"Anything," Kelly replied.

"When Tracy gets married, will you sing at her wedding?" She smiled sweetly. Kelly lifted an eyebrow, considering. Standing, she sat the towel down. She went to Edna and reached around her with her right arm, placing her hand on the small of Edna's back. She offered her left hand to Edna, and she took it as she placed her other arm around Kelly's shoulder. Kelly began slowly to rock.

"A little preview," she grinned as Edna giggled.

"Suntanned, windblown

Honeymooners at last alone

Feeling far above par

Oh, how lucky we are

While I give to you and you give to me

True love, true love

So on and on it will always be

True love, true love

For you and I have a guardian angel

On high, with nothing to do

But to give to you and to give to me

Love forever, true"

Edna was lost in Kelly's velvet honey voice and her skin smooth as rose-petals, and she remained so even after Kelly sang the last few words of Mister Porter's song.

The song came to an end, and together they stood with their arms around one another. Edna's lips brushed against Kelly's neck, moving lightly upward toward her jaw, her cheek. When their lips met, the ground disappeared beneath their feet, and the world ceased to exist. Kelly ran her fingers through Edna's hair, swooning as their tongues caressed one another. She let her hands drift down Edna's body, being careful not to aggravate her wounds, until they met with Edna's. Their hands clasped tightly between their heaving bosoms, Kelly Wiley and Edna Turnblad poured their love deeply into one another.

When at last their lips parted company, Kelly placed her hand over Edna's heart, and then moved it to the zipper pull of her nightgown. She tugged it down slowly, pushing the fabric gently aside to reveal the cuts covering her left breast; they were still delicate. She lifted her eyes to meet those of her newfound love, smiling softly.

"I love you, Edna Turnblad."

"And I love you, Kelly Wiley." Edna kissed the young woman's cheek as she embraced her.


	6. My sincere apologies to my readers

Okay, huge apology for the multiple changes in chapter five. I was in the process of writing the sixth chapter (which, as you probably guessed, was essentially a sex scene) when I realized that I have already exposed Edna enough. I have already stripped her of her sanity, dug into her mind, and stripped her physically and emotionally.

I deemed it inappropriate to continue this assault on her dignity, and have hence decided to end the story here. But don't fret, the plot bunnies are appearing out of the bushes and a few ideas may perhaps be occurring to me for a separate story, in which Kelly will be present.

Again, I am so sorry for my indecisiveness!

FM


End file.
